The Untouchables (1959–1963): Season 2, Episode 16 - The Jamaica Ginger Story - full transcript

Kansas City boss Torrez runs a lucrative trade in deadly 'Jamaica Ginger'. When rivals try to move in on his operation, Torrez hires hit-men, but complications arise when one of the killers falls in love.

Gentlemen?

We'll have the usual.

Tonight's episode:

Starring Robert
Stack as Elliot Ness.

Co-starring Michael
Ansara, James Coburn,

and Alfred Ryder.

With special guest
star Brian Keith.

And narrated by Walter Winchell.

On the night of March 25, 1931,

two trucks rode into Kansas City

with a million dollar load
of synthetic Jamaica Ginger,



a deadly drink commonly
known as Ginger Jake.

The two trucks belonged
to Rafael Torres,

seemingly a gentleman
sportsman and breeder of horses,

a naturalized
American since 1913.

Because Ginger Jake
was manufactured

by cheap native labor,
the profits to Rafael Torres

from this insidious bootlegging
racket were enormous

and Jerry LaCava
wanted those profits.

With five of his
hand-picked hoodlums,

he made elaborate plans

to hijack the smuggled
shipment of lethal alcohol.

To challenge Torres's monopoly

on the illicit Ginger
Jake business,

he had enlisted the services
of the Rock Brothers...



Two of the most notorious
torpedoes in Kansas City...

Andy Bello, alias Louis Belmont,

four years in Leavenworth
for procuring and white slavery;

Richie Peters, three-time loser,

11 years in Atlanta for mail
fraud and armed robbery;

and Wally Hellmann,

ex-welterweight
Marine Corps champion,

booked on suspicion of murder
on three separate occasions,

no convictions.

Get ready, Wally.

Let 'em have it!

Now turn those trucks around
and drive them to our warehouse!

The hijacking and the
killing was the opening round

in the fight between Rafael
Torres and Jerry LaCava

for the rich and rotten
Ginger Jake booze.

Although the government

had sharply curtailed
the supply of Ginger Jake

coming from Santo
Domingo to New Orleans,

Eliot Ness, who had
been assigned to the case,

knew that millions of dollars
worth of the deadly brew

had already been
smuggled into Kansas City,

the hub of the Ginger Jake
operation in the Midwest.

His problem was
simple and urgent...

Find out where it was
stockpiled, and quickly.

What do you make of it, Eliot?

These holes, those
truck tire marks

add up to hijacking.

Eliot.

I found this.

Jamaica Ginger?

No mistake about that.

Mr. Ness? Yes, Captain.

Here's the rundown

on the two truck
drivers that were killed.

Both had records. Thanks.

Anything else we can do for you,

just let us know.

We certainly will. Right.

Those truck drivers
came from New Orleans.

It must have been
Jamaica Ginger all right.

All we have to
do now is find out

who it was being delivered to.

At least there's one
thing we're sure of.

What's that?

There must be an awful
lot of that poison around

to start a gang war over.

Despite the
threatening gang war,

two days later, Rafael
Torres invited Jerry LaCava

to his horse farm on the
outskirts of Kansas City

for a friendly discussion.

Except for one or two minor
convictions as a young hoodlum,

Torres had stayed clear of
the law for more than 15 years.

Ah...

A second and three-fifths
better than yesterday.

She's gonna be
a winner, that one.

I'm worried, Rafe.

About a horse like that?

Look. First time out,

you bet every dollar
you got, right on her nose.

You know what I'm
talkin' about. LaCava.

Don't bet on him.

He's a loser.

Yeah, but he's gettin' big.

And he's got a big mob.

He's a punk!

Here comes the big
punk now with his big mob.

Nice front you got here.

Where are the rest of your boys?

They're around.

Let's go inside and talk.

Nothing cheap around here.

You know how to live.

Well, you don't throw a place
like this together over night.

It takes time.

Larry, go down to the cellar

and bring up a couple
bottles of my fine brandy.

Have a seat.

What do you think of that, boys?

Only the best for us.

You didn't think I'd give
you Ginger Jake, did you?

What does it cost to
run a place like this?

I mean, the horses,
the help, the works.

Well, it's hard to say.

You know what J.P. Morgan
said to the man who asked him

how much it cost
to run his yacht?

What did he say?

He said, "If you had to ask,

you can't afford it."

What's that supposed
to be, a joke?!

You think I can't
afford a layout like this?

Is that what's so funny?

Now, you listen to me,
Rafe, and listen good.

Before I'm through, I'll buy

and sell this place a
hundred times over!

Who said you wouldn't, Jerry?

Now, look, don't
be so sensitive.

I'm sorry if you didn't
like my little joke.

I didn't like it.

When I want to hear
jokes, I'll listen to the radio.

All right, I heard
how funny you are.

Now let me hear you serious.

Well, first off,

I'd like to say I'm
a peaceful man.

Never had trouble with anybody.

I haven't carried
a gun in 15 years,

even before the New York boys

came around to
my way of thinking.

Say some more.

Live and let live...
What more can I say?

Now, look, Jerry,

I shoot you, you shoot me.

You know who wins?

The florist.

Frankie Yale got more flowers

than anybody ever
got at his funeral.

Me, when somebody
sends me flowers,

I want to be able to smell 'em.

All right, so we
both want to live.

So what's your deal?

My deal's a fair one.

You got two of my trucks,

but that's still
only a small part

of the Ginger Jake
I got stocked away.

Where?

Not so fast, Jerry.

We come to terms,
I tell you where.

What terms?

I'll give you ten percent.

You'll have to do
better than that.

What did you have in mind?

Fifty-fifty.

I wasn't prepared to
give away that much.

You gonna have to give me
a little time to think about it.

You got a week.

When you make up your mind,
you know where to reach me.

Oh, that's great stuff.

Is that what J.P. Morgan drinks?

Work with him?

That cheap punk,
trying to hold me up.

He'll get my answer, all
right, right between the eyes.

What are you gonna do?

Get LaCava out of my hair.

He's gonna get all the shooting
he wants before this is over.

Operator.

New York, person-to-person.

Dennis Garrity.

Courtland 0-7868.

It's for you, Dennis.

It's long distance.

Garrity.

This is Rafe.

I got another contract for you.

When do you want me?

Tomorrow afternoon, my place.

I'll be there.

Pay this window. 20 bucks.

Uh... Hey, look, I'll
play you another game,

only this time you gotta
give me a 20-pin handicap.

Call for you, Jim. Kansas City.

Kansas City? Who do
I know in Kansas City?

He didn't say who it was.

All right, I'll be right back.

I'll-I'll spot you 20.

Jim Martinson.

My name is Rafe Torres.

You don't know me, but I'm
a good friend of Frank Nitti's.

Frank's a good friend
of mine, too. So?

I spoke to him this morning.

Told him I might be
needing some help.

He said I could depend on you.

Frank tell you to call me?

Check with him
first if you want.

When do you want me?

Tomorrow afternoon
at my farm in K.C.

The address is 40 Wiley Road.

I'll be there.

Okay, let's go.

One more game.

You owe me $20 for the last one.

Double or nothing
on the next one.

Nah, money on the line.

Come on, pay for
the other one first.

What's the matter,
don't you trust me?

No.

All right, I'll write
you out a check.

Cash.

Look, I'm a
little short right...

You're a little short?
You ain't short. Hey!

You're a little shrimp.
Hey, I'll pay you tomorrow.

First you thought
you could hustle me,

now you're gonna welsh on me.
Come on, let go of me, will ya?

The following
afternoon at his farm

in the southern
suburbs of Kansas City,

Torres outlined his plan for
getting rid of Jerry LaCava

to his imported killers,

Jim Martinson, of
Detroit's Purple Gang,

and Dennis Garrity, one
of the New York syndicate's

best torpedoes and enforcers.

Just so there won't be
any hitch in the plans,

I'll have Larry trail
him night and day,

find out where he
goes and what he does.

Clock him just like a racehorse.

Five or six days' time,
we'll meet here again.

I'll give you the whole setup.

Is this LaCava ever alone?

No.

He always has two or
three of his boys with him...

The Rock Brothers
and Andy Bello.

Look at this saddle.

Hand-tooled for me in Argentina.

This one's not gonna be easy.

I got guts, but I don't
like to see 'em spread out

all over the sidewalk.

You scared?

Ledke always said you
had ice in your veins.

Only when the
odds are on my side.

Four against two?

Now, look, Garrity,

I'm not gonna force you to do
anything you don't want to do.

You want to pull
out, it's okay by me.

I'll get somebody else.

Who said anything
about pulling out?

I just want you to
know it's no pushover.

You want more money, is that it?

Okay, I'll double it.

How's about five grand each?

Fine.

Now I got ice in my veins.

Got a good wheelman?

Larry.

He's as good as they come.

Ah, here's my problem child.

Spooky, that's what I call him.

You know, he worked six
furlongs in 109 and three.

But he's a real outlaw.

What's the matter with him?

I'll show you.

See? Loud noises.

Any kind of a loud
noise drives him crazy.

He's spooky all right.

Can we get out of here?

Well, when you need me,

I'll be staying at the
St. Charles Hotel.

Where are you staying, Jim?

Well, we shouldn't
stay in the same place.

I'll find a room and then
I'll let you know where I am.

Well, good luck, boys.

When I go on a job, luck
has nothing to do with it.

That's the kind of
talk I like to hear.

Yes?

What is it?

Is the room still for rent?

Why, yes. Would
you like to look at it?

Uh-huh.

Who is it, Louise?

It's someone for
the room, Auntie.

Oh, that's my aunt.

This is her place.

Won't you come in?

The room is on the second floor.

Thanks.

How do you do? Hello.

I'm Mrs. Judith
Foster, Mr. uh...

Martinson... Jim Martinson.

Oh, I'm sure you're
gonna like it here.

Show the gentleman
to his room, Louise.

I'd show you up myself,

but I haven't been able to
climb those stairs for two years,

ever since I've been smitten
with this terrible rheumatism.

If it weren't for my niece,
I don't know what I'd do.

Teaching school,

looking out for
things around here.

Auntie, Mr. Martinson
doesn't want to hear about us.

Well, that's all
right, I don't mind.

Louise says I talk too much

and meddle too much in
other people's business.

Well, I say she
doesn't talk enough

and stays too much by herself.

I'll show you to your room.

Will you follow me? Okay.

Rent's five dollars
a week, in advance.

You can pay Louise.

Oh, this is nice.

It's the nicest room
I've had in a long time.

Did you make these?

Just some material
I had left over

from the curtains I
made for my room.

You live downstairs
with your aunt?

No, my room is
directly above this one.

Which reminds me,

I still have a lot of
papers to correct.

If there's anything you want,
you can call me or my aunt.

Hey, wait a minute,
you forgot your rent.

I don't know if I'm
gonna be a week or two.

It's kind of hard to
tell in my business.

I'm a professional
bowler, sort of.

Oh, that must
be an exciting life.

Well... Well, good night.

Uh, I don't suppose it
means anything to you,

bowling, I mean, but
do you know if there's

any alleys around here?

Why, yes, they're quite near.

I pass them every day
on my way to school.

Just three blocks east of here.

Ah. You bowl, too?

Oh, no.

Well, wouldn't you like to try?

It's a good game.

Well, I'm sure it is,

but I don't know the
first thing about it.

Well, it's easy.

I could teach you.

Um, I could give you your
first lesson tomorrow night.

What do you say?

That is, if you haven't
got another date,

or something like that.

Well, I don't know.

What I mean is, of course,
I don't have a date, but...

See, I haven't got
any friends in this town,

and in any other
one for that matter.

I always been kind
of a loner, you know?

Well, except for being
surrounded by 50 schoolchildren

and Auntie, I'm
something of a loner myself.

Well, then it's a date, huh?

Very good.

But I promise you
I'll be a terrible pupil.

Good night, Mr. Martinson.

Jim.

Louise.

Good night, Louise.

And now back to:

Less than four days after
Jerry LaCava hijacked

the two trucks containing
the poisonous Ginger Jake,

a victim of the deadly
drink was found one morning

in an alley of the slum
district of Kansas City.

The policeman who
discovered the poor derelict

called Captain Roberts,
who, in turn, notified Eliot Ness.

Ginger Jake, contaminated
with wood alcohol,

had claimed its first
victim in Kansas City.

His name was Willie Meyers.

Came originally from Wichita.

That's all we know
about him so far.

Know where he lived?

No address in his wallet.

My guess is that he lived in one
of the flophouses up the street.

Captain, could you
get a coroner's report

on the cause of death?

I'll send one
over to your office

soon as we can, Mr. Ness.

Looked like alcohol
poisoning to me.

That's what I'm worried about.

We cut off the supply
coming in from Louisiana,

but there must be thousands
of gallons of the poison

right here in the city.

My men have checked every
garage and warehouse in the city.

If it's here, I don't know
where they're hiding it.

Or who's hiding it.

These flophouses...
They on your beat?

Yes, sir.

You check them all?

At least once a month.

I know the men who run them.

I'd like to check these
flophouses for myself.

They're not pretty, Mr. Ness.

Neither was Willie
Meyers, Captain.

Eliot Ness and Lee
Hobson began interrogating

the flophouse owners,
examining the premises.

In each flophouse it
was the same story...

None of the managers
had heard of Willie Meyers.

Each of them piously
denounced anyone

who would descend
to selling dope,

denatured alcohol
or Ginger Jake.

Looks like we've come
into the high rent district.

Yeah, 50 cents a day.

Must give them something special

for the extra 25 cents.

I can't imagine what.

Let's go in and find out.

I told you fellas...

Well, I don't suppose
you want a bed

from the looks of you.

Federal officers.

Oh, well, what do you know?

First it was the
Health Department,

and then the city police

and now I got the
feds on my neck.

Well, go ahead and
look the place over

as much as you like.

It ain't the Ritz, but
I run a nice cheap,

clean hotel, or flophouse,
if you're gonna call it that.

It's not as cheap as some
of the others we've been to.

Oh, you noticed that, did you?

Well, it's like you say,
you pay for what you get.

What do they get here they
don't get at the other places?

Oh, many things, many things.

Better service,

better showers,
nice clean towels.

Mind if we look for ourselves?

Well, yeah, go ahead.

I couldn't stop
you if I wanted to.

If it's all the same to
you, I'll go back to sleep.

Nothing in here.

Let's try the others.

Ten and 20 won't open.

Try number 30, Lee.

It won't open, Eliot.

Ginger Jake.

No wonder they pay
twice as much here.

Friend of ours says you
got the best service in town.

Just sign your name and
give me your 50 cents.

Sure, sure, you don't
need to worry about us.

Keep your money, boys.

Better find another place.

We're closing this one up.

Closing it up? Why?

This is why.

All right, beat it, boys.

If you're smart,
you'll be more choosy

about picking your
next flophouse.

Get your coat.
You're coming with us.

Now, wait a minute.
I can explain this.

I didn't want to have
anything to do with this stuff.

I didn't want to handle it,
but it was forced on me.

I either had to handle it
or get my place blown up.

Who forced you? Who was it?

I don't know who he was.

He just come in and
laid down the law.

Ah, be reasonable now,

you can't pin a bootlegging
rap on me for that.

We were taking
you in for murder.

Murder?

That's right.

One of your guests
died an hour ago.

You'd better play ball with us

and tell us who
sold you this poison,

or we'll throw the book
at you and throw it hard.

Now who was it?

Who was it?!

The name is Bello.

Andy Bello.

Who does he work for?

I don't know who he works for.

He just said he'd be in tomorrow
afternoon to collect his money.

Keep the place going
for another 24 hours.

We want to be
around to collect him.

Hey, you were
great, you know that?

No, I mean it. You've
been bowling what,

less than a week now, and
already you make a hundred.

Oh, that last spare
was absolute luck.

Did you see my knees shake?

Oh, that don't mean nothing.

By the end of the year,
you'll be bowling 200.

Oh, you're sweet, Jim.

I'll never be much of a
bowler and you know it.

But I love being with you.

Me, too.

I mean, being with you.

All right, so you
won't make 200.

By the end of next week,
you'll hit a hundred and a half.

Oh, next Saturday
is Memorial Day

and I was planning to
visit my mother in Wichita,

just for the weekend.

Oh, listen, uh,

are you gonna tell her about...

you know, about us?

Should I?

What should I tell her?

Early that same evening,
Rafael Torres contacted

his two torpedoes,

Jim Martinson
and Dennis Garrity.

The big kill was arranged
for 9:00 the following morning.

The next morning at
five minutes after 9:00,

Jerry LaCava and Andy Bello

walked into Whalen's
Ham 'N' Egg Diner

while the Rock Brothers
remained outside in the car.

Dennis Garrity took up a
position in a dark doorway.

His eyes riveted on
the two men in the car.

Gentlemen?

We'll have the usual.

Oh...!

LaCava's dreams of empire
ended in the hash house,

and Torres was now
in undisputed control

of the Ginger Jake
racket in Kansas City.

But Eliot Ness' first
valid lead was eliminated

with the slaying of Andy Bello.

Less than an hour after
the LaCava massacre,

Eliot Ness and his men arrived

at the scene of
the mass slaughter

and were questioning the
waitress, Agnes Nelson.

Aw, look, I've told
you everything I know.

I can't remember exactly
what he looked like.

He was big and blond.

How big?

At least over six feet.

I didn't pay any
special attention to him.

He ordered sunny-side eggs

and he buried his
head in the paper.

Can't you even remember
what he was wearing?

An ordinary suit.

Brown, gray, I don't remember.

Anything else?

Well, he had a
bowling bag with him.

A bowling bag?

Yeah.

Thank you, Miss Nelson.

Sure.

Hey, wait.

Mr. Ness, I do remember
something else, a scar.

A what?

Well, when I was
serving him his eggs,

I notice he had this scar
on the back of his hand,

like, ooh, from a bullet wound.

I had a boyfriend
once, a soldier,

had a scar just
like it right here.

Well, we went swimming together,

in the municipal pool.

Do you remember which
hand the scar was on?

That one.

Thank you, Miss Nelson,
you've been a big help.

From the government
files in Washington,

Eliot Ness requested
the identities of criminals

with the following
characteristics:

over six feet, blond, scar
on the back of the right hand.

Well, here they are, 27
men from all over the country.

Let's break them up in sections.

Lee, you check these men
out in the San Francisco area.

Right.

Rico... you take Chicago.

The Untouchables had put
in calls to the police chiefs

of New York, Chicago,
San Francisco and Detroit.

And the first five
suspects were cleared.

But it was a different story

when Captain Williamson of
the Detroit Police Department

called Eliot Ness back
later that afternoon.

I checked, Mr. Ness.

As far as we know, Jim Martinson
left town about a week ago.

Any idea where he went?

No, but if he comes back,

I'll pick him up for you.

He's easy to nab.

Always hangs
around bowling alleys.

Did you say bowling alleys?

Martinson's one of the
best bowlers in Detroit.

Better than a 200 average.

Thanks, Captain, I'll call
you if I need anything else.

With a blown-up
picture of Jim Martinson

made from the mug shot,

Eliot Ness and his
men made the rounds

of the Kansas City bowling
alleys that afternoon.

At Sandy's Recreation Club,
Simon Zipperman, the manager,

recognized the
picture instantly.

Recognize him?

Yeah, sure.

Jim Martinson, one of
our best bowlers here.

He won a tournament last night,

bowled 280 his
last game to take it.

Know where he lives?

Sure, I've got
everybody's address

that entered the tournament.

Uh... here it is.

816 Rodney Street.

Thanks.

Does a Mr. Martinson live here?

Oh, yes, sir.
Upstairs, second floor.

Is anything wrong?

Did you see Mr. Martinson
yesterday morning?

Well, I slept late yesterday
because I didn't sleep

the night before on account
of my terrible rheumatism.

Is Mr. Martinson in now?

Yes, I think so.

I didn't hear him go out.

He's a real nice fella.

He's engaged to
my niece. Thank you.

We just want to ask
him a few questions.

His room is down
the hall on the right.

Who is it?

Police.

Come on in.

Just having some coffee.

You're a long way
from home, Martinson.

What are you doing
in Kansas City?

Bowling.

Don't they have
bowling alleys in Detroit?

Sure.

But nobody'll play
me there any more.

I gotta find new
suckers someplace.

Where were you yesterday
morning, say around 9:00?

9:00 yesterday morning?

Well, look, uh...

look, don't put me
on a spot, will you?

If it's all the same to
you, I'd rather not say.

We'd like you to say
or we'll take you in.

Where were you?

Okay.

Well, there's a
girl lives upstairs,

and, uh, I spent the
evening with her, you know.

So yesterday morning, 9:00,

I was havin' breakfast with her.

What's this girl's name?

Her name's Louise Rainey.

She's a nice girl.

We're engaged to get married.

She don't know
nothing about my record

in Detroit. Is she in now?

Well, yeah, I guess so.

She was in her
room a little while ago.

Watch out what you
say to her, will ya?

I'm straight now, and
I'm gonna stay that way.

Yeah.

Victor 4116.

Yeah?

Hello, Garrity?

Listen, the feds are here.

Martinson, you keep
your mouth shut.

Understand?

I already opened my
big mouth and told 'em

I was with my girl
yesterday morning.

That's a perfect alibi.

Yeah, only she
don't know about it.

She just took the bus
to the railroad station

half an hour ago.

What was she wearing?

Uh, a blue suit and a...

a white hat with a lot
of blue flowers on it.

Listen, you gotta talk to her.

If the feds get to
her first, I'm sunk.

Well, don't worry.
Leave her to me.

I'll handle everything.

I'm in this, too. Who knows?

Maybe you can do
me a favor sometime.

Look, Jim, meet me in my
hotel in a couple of hours.

There's something I
want to talk to you about.

Yeah, yeah, sure.

Look, tell her that I'll
explain everything to her

when I see her, huh?

I gotta hang up.

I thought you said
your girlfriend was in.

Oh, yeah, yeah, I forgot.

She had to go to Wichita.

She was gonna tell her
mother about us being engaged.

Yeah, you ought to
see the ring I got her.

Emerald, big as a bowling ball.

Check Wichita, Lee.

Stick around, Martinson.

I might have some more
questions to ask you.

Well, where would I go?

I'm getting married next week.

Fine, but just stay away

from Niagara Falls for a while.

♪ ♪

Louise! Yes?

Who are you?

I'm a friend of Jim's.

Your boyfriend's in trouble.

He wants to see you right away.

Jim? In trouble?
What kind of trouble?

Well, I just as
soon he told you.

Get in, I'll take you.
He isn't hurt, is he?

No, no, nothing like that.

But my train to Wichita,
it'll be here in ten minutes.

Well, you can take the next one.

I'll loan Jim my car.

He can take you back. Come on.

The city's behind us.

Why are we going this way?

To get a little fresh air.

I thought you were
taking me to see Jim.

Well, that depends
how smart you are.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Now, you turn this car
around. I insist on it.

Relax, teacher.

You do what you're told,
nothing will happen to you.

Happen?

What do you want?

Who are you?

I told you, a friend of Jim's.

We're counting on
you for a little help.

A smart teacher like
you shouldn't have

any trouble
memorizing a few lines.

What lines?

The lines to the police
when they ask you about him.

You tell them that
you were out with him

the night before last.

And that you had
breakfast with him

yesterday morning,
9:00 to be exact.

But that's an outright lie.

Why should I tell the police I
was with Jim when I wasn't?

Don't give us any
trouble, teacher.

You do as I tell
you and stop asking

so many stupid questions.

You want to see
your boyfriend hang,

is that what you want?

Hang?

Jim?

For what?

Well, for murder.

What do you think
they hang people for?

Murder?

For knocking off those two
guys in the diner yesterday.

Don't you read the
papers either? Jim?

Oh, no, Jim couldn't have
had anything to do with that.

The police must be mistaken.

You're the only one that's
making a mistake, teacher.

Now, what do you say?

Yes or no? Are
you with us or not?

You turn this car around.

I want to talk to Jim.
I want to see him.

Oh, you're pretty
stupid for a teacher.

That was the last that was
ever seen of Louise Rainey.

The school teacher's
brief and tragic romance

with the killer, Jim Martinson,

ended in the blaze of
gasoline on a lonely spot

on the outskirts of Kansas City.

Yeah?

It's Martinson.

You talk to her?

When I tell somebody
I'll do him a favor,

I always keep my word.

How did she act
when you told her?

I mean, uh, did
she say anything?

Well, she was very cooperative.

She knows the score.

I'm gonna tell you the
same thing I told her.

You two better
not see each other

until after the heat's off.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, thanks.

I don't know what
else to say, except

anytime you need something,
why, let me know, huh.

You mean that, Jim?

Well, sure.

I never forget a favor. Never?

Hey, how'd you like to be
best man at my wedding, huh?

Oh, Jim, I'd like to,
but I'm going back

to New York right
after we get paid off

tomorrow night. What for?

Well, that's what I
wanted to talk to you about.

I got a new contract
this morning.

You don't waste
any time, do you?

I'd like you in it with me.

Nah, I can't, I'm settling down.

Louise gets back next
week, I gotta start thinking

about looking for
some kind of work.

Well, there's ten grand each.

You can do a lot of settling
down on that kind of money.

Ten grand?

Must be a big hit.

As big as they
come in this town.

Who's worth 20
grand in Kansas City?

Rafe Torres.

You on the level?

You want to hit Rafe?

Look, Jim, it's going
to be an easy ten grand.

Tomorrow night when
we go out to the ranch

to get paid off, we hit him.

I'll pick you up at
7:00, your place.

I don't know, I could
use the dough, but...

But what?

Well, you can't knock off
Rafe like he was some punk.

He's too big, he's
got connections.

We couldn't get away with it.

You think the New York
syndicate's going to stand for that?

The syndicate asked me to do it.

It's their contract, Jim.

I told them you'd come along.

Ah, look, Jim.

The New York boys
want Rafe out of the way.

They want this
Ginger Jake racket

all to themselves.

Look, Jim, I'm asking
you as a friend now.

I did you a favor, didn't I?

Okay. Okay, I'm with you.

Ah, now we got
something to drink about.

After Eliot Ness had called
Louise Rainey's mother

in Wichita, and ascertained
she had not been there,

he notified the local police
that he was looking for her.

The following morning, at 8:30,

State Police Officers Charles
Benson and Michael Grillo,

while cruising the
area near the city dump,

saw an unusual fire.

Better get to a telephone
and call headquarters!

When Eliot Ness arrived
there an hour later,

only the sex of the victim
had been determined.

The only clues
that had been found

were the metal
locks from a suitcase

and a woman's
large emerald ring.

Looks like a woman's ring.

Think it might belong to
the girl you're looking for?

Yeah, I think so.

You know her, Mr. Ness?

Not exactly.

Captain, I'd like to
keep her identity secret

for a day or so.

Why?

Because I think whoever did this

didn't expect us
to find the body,

or recognize it
if we did find it.

May I borrow this ring?

If you think you'll need it.

I think I will.

Thanks.

Come on, Rico!

Oh, Jim's not in.

He went out bowling
about an hour ago.

Thank you, Mrs. Foster,
but, if you don't mind,

we'd like to see for ourselves.

I don't know what
you want with Jimmy,

but he's a fine a fella as
you'd ever lay eyes on.

If you don't believe me,

that's the key to his room.

You can look for yourself.

Thank you.

Think he took a powder, Eliot?

I don't think so.

He's got three suits

and a couple of pairs
of shoes in the closet.

Now, where would Martinson
get his shoes so full of mud?

Well, not walking from
here to the bowling alley.

I can tell you that.

I'd like the lab to do
a soil analysis on this.

Maybe we can find out
where Martinson's been going.

Eliot?

What do you make of this?

It's hard to tell.

A grain of some kind.

Better get this to the lab, too.

After leaving the
specimens of soil and grain

at the police laboratory,

Eliot Ness and his men
confronted Jim Martinson

in Sandy's Recreation Club.

Well, hello.

Can I buy you a bottle of pop?

No, thanks.

When'd you last
see Louise Rainey?

Uh, yesterday afternoon.

Where is she now?

Well, she left for
home... Wichita.

Are you sure of that?

Well, of course, I'm sure.

Eh, call up her mother
if you don't believe me.

I don't believe you.

What do you mean
you don't believe me?

I told you she went to Wichita.

That's where she is.

She never left Kansas City,
Martinson, and you know it.

I don't know nothing.

What do you think
you're driving at?

You killed her to shut her up.

Me? Kill Louise?

You don't know what
you're talking about.

What, are you
kidding or something?

Nobody killed her.

I told you she left town.

Now, she's either at her
mother's house in Wichita

or she stopped off at
her girlfriend's in Topeka.

She's not in Wichita,
Topeka, or any other city,

and you know it.

Hey, what is this?

Look, you know something
I don't, tell me, come on.

Where did you get that?

Out of a fire.

It was the only
thing that didn't burn

except a couple
of suitcase locks.

No.

I didn't do it.

I didn't kill her; I loved her.

We was gonna get married.

Who did it?

I don't... I don't know.

You know, Martinson.

Tell us. Who did it?

I don't know, I told
you I don't know.

Will you leave me alone?

Do you think he did it, Eliot?

No, but I think
he knows who did.

Let's get back to the lab.

Rico, keep a tail on him.

Hello, Larry?

It's Martinson.

Yeah, I know about tonight.

Listen, is Rafe there?

Tell him I want to talk to him.

The grain found in the cuffs
of Jim Martinson's trousers

was comparatively
easy to analyze.

There was no doubt it was oats,

but an analysis of the soil
deposit was more complicated.

In order to pinpoint precisely
where the soil came from,

the topsoil analyst of
the region was called in.

After a process of
deduction and elimination,

he concluded that
it came from an area

to the south of Kansas City.

Are you sure, Professor?

Well, reasonably sure, Mr. Ness.

There, you can see for yourself.

You see right there, you
can see the little grain...

Thank you, sir.

Hello.

Yes, he is.

For you, Mr. Ness.

Thank you.

Hello. Ness.

I've lost him, Eliot.

He must have gone
out the back way.

We've got to find him again.

Look, Rico,

meet us at the County
Recorder's Office right away.

Thanks again.

The County Recorder's Office
had been closed two hours,

but Eliot Ness prevailed

on the superintendent
Claude S. Winninger

to reopen the
office and assist him

in establishing the exact
location of a parcel of land

having anything
to do with horses.

Any racetracks
in that territory?

No, nor any riding
academies either.

Oh, here.

This is what I think
you may be looking for.

The Torres farm, it's been
operating about 15 years.

Thank you.

Shortly after 8:00 that night,

Dennis Garrity and
Jim Martinson drove up

to the front door
of Torres's farm.

Garrity attributed Martinson's
strangely quiet behavior

to an attack of nerves...

A normal tightness a
torpedo feels before the kill.

Glad to see you, boys.

Right in time for the payoff.

Where's Rafe?

Oh, he's with some new
horses he just bought.

Come on, I'll show 'em to
you, they're real beauties.

Ah... what do I
know about horses?

Everything I know about horses

is what I read in
the scratch sheet.

What's that?

Spooky the stallion.

Why doesn't he get
rid of that crazy horse?

Rafe don't give up so easy.

He's pretty stubborn.

Come on in.

Well, if it isn't my
favorite friends.

Did a great job, boys, great.

Ten G's and it was
worth every nickel of it.

I owe you plenty, boys.

I won't be forgetting it.

Well, if you ever need
us again, you just holler.

Right, Jim?

Yeah, that's right.

Well, it's good to know you
got friends you can depend on,

and that's a fact.

Now that LaCava's
out of the way,

I got his boys working for me.

I got every drop of
Ginger Jake in the county.

What do you think of that?

What about our dough?

You know, this stallion
in here really worries me.

I don't think he'll
ever be able to race.

He's too scary.

You should see him around guns.

He really goes berserk.

What is this?

Rafe.

N-No!

Now, now listen to me.

It was the New York boys.

Honest, Rafe.

No, no, no!

Give me that, give me that.

Rico, you and Bill
go around back.

Cops!

♪ ♪

Concealed in the
hay trucks and the silo,

Eliot Ness found more
than one million gallons

of poisonous Ginger Jake...

All of the lethal rotgut

that had been smuggled
into the country...

And all of the criminals
who had fought

for control of this
insidious traffic

were wiped out to the last man.